Torn from Two--Sneak Peek
“We are three, I love you both.” That was our motto, our oath—those words bound us together in a circular love for eternity—we were unbreakable. Or so I thought. This isn’t the story of how I fell in love with two enigmatic men, nor is it the telling of how they both fell in love with me, and each other, in the process. Rather, this is what happened the summer after I, Penelope Sedgewick, was taken by Roger “Rex” Renton and Nathaniel Slater to Colombia to live with them. The following is what happened after our year of whirlwind, romantic bliss, when we didn’t give a damn what the outside world thought of our unconventional relationship. With my usual innocence, I thought that enchanted time would go on forever, but I was wrong. Only one short year later, a beautiful stranger would creep into our lives like an ominous storm cloud and rip us into shreds—this is what happened when we were torn from two.
Chapter One
It started back in Las Vegas, the year after we fell in love, in the same place our story began. Nathaniel Slater, Nate, was an acquaintance from my past when I saw him in the bar of the casino my father owned, The Penelope, named after me. He drugged and kidnapped me, but I later found out he’d taken me, with the help of his mysterious friend Rex, to save my life. Broken and wrestling with demons from our pasts, the three of us fused together in a three-way love none of us expected. But we had found love—a miraculous love without boundaries, without labels. That first year living together, sharing one bed, at Rex’s sprawling jungle compound in Colombia was our honeymoon. I never once feared it was too good to last.
My cousin, Madison, was getting married that June and she asked me to be a bridesmaid. We were both only children, so Maddie and I had always been close. I squealed like a child when she asked me, and going through the wedding planning from afar occupied most of my waking thoughts in the two months before the wedding. Both of my men were going with me, and I couldn’t wait to see them in their designer suits. Despite my excitement, I was nervous to go home and face family and friends. Mostly I was hesitant to see my father again—we hadn’t been in the same room for over a year, and he’d grown even more distant after I left Las Vegas under the guise of running off with Nate. My father didn’t know about Rex at all, and I wasn’t sure how I’d explain who he was and what he meant to me. Maddie asked a couple of times why I was bringing two dates, but I deflected the question with a casual,
“I’ll explain in person.”
A few days before the wedding, my two guys and I loaded up our luggage and hanging formal wear into Nate’s private jet and flew to Las Vegas. On the plane, Rex slept in the leather chair in front of us, his caramel blonde hair flopping over as his head leaned to the side. “He’s always out the minute we take off,” I said to Nate while flipping through one of my many bridal magazines. I’d just turned twenty-six, and admit I was jealous that Madison was the one getting married. I was madly in love and ready to make our relationship official—but wasn’t so naïve as to think having two husbands would be easy. Nate looked up from his sleek MacBook over at me, his wavy copper-brown hair shifting as he shook his head at me. “It’s because he’s old,” he teased, nodding toward the sleeping Rex.
“Yeah, well, you’re not so fresh and new yourself.”
“Whatever,” he shot back, his eyes drifting back to his screen. The three of us had quite an age span—I was in my twenties, Nate in his early thirties, and Rex was in his mid-forties, although you’d never know it looking at him.
“You keep staring at those wedding dresses—it makes me think this bridal stuff is about more than Madison’s wedding,” Nate said several minutes later. “Uh,” I answered, feeling my face burn with embarrassment. Rex was now wide awake and staring at me as they both awaited my answer. “Of course, I mean, well—yeah, I think about getting married, having babies, all of—”
“No,” Nate snapped, “I mean, not yet, Pen, on the kids thing.” Rex’s eyes narrowed as he watched us silently from his leather seat. “I just mean, you’re so young,” Nate explained, his tone softer.
“I do want children, though, and I’ll admit that I want to get married, even if I can’t have a big wedding like Madison. I love you both so much, why shouldn’t the three of us be able to have that like everyone else?” I looked to both men, their eyes sad, apologetic. “We can have it if we want it,” I said under my breath in defiance. Rex finally broke his silence, forcing a smile to his lips for my benefit. “Yeah, baby, I hear you. But, let’s get through this wedding for now.”
Later that day when we checked into a penthouse suite at my father’s hotel, there was an envelope from my father as well as a handful of papers about the wedding festivities. Dad, as usual, explained in his typed note, dictated to an assistant, that he was too busy with casino issues to meet us until the pre-wedding dinner that evening, but that Nathaniel and I should make ourselves comfortable at The Penelope. I hadn’t told him about Rex, and the thought of explaining our relationship caused a hard knot to form deep in my gut.
Up in our penthouse suite, Rex poured a tumbler of bourbon from the stocked bar as Nate opened a bottle of wine. When the bellman finally finished putting our clothes away, his eyebrow raising as I told him all the clothes should be hung in one bedroom closet, I fell into the plush sofa next to Rex. Nate handed me a glass of red wine and slid in next to me. It felt odd to be home, but I was excited to share my hometown with them.
“Should we go see the Strip? Let’s do that new rollercoaster over at the —”
“I think,” Rex interrupted, taking a long sip of his amber-colored liquor, “we should finish these drinks and go to bed.” Rex’s hand floated to my thigh while Nate’s palm claimed my knee.
“Are you that horny, or are you just avoiding the rollercoaster?”
“Both,” he growled, leaning in to kiss me. A warm tingle spread across me as my lips opened to Rex’s, his tongue stroking across mine, pulling me deeper. Nate leaned in, his hand slipping further up my leg, under my lace panties, across my swelling mound. Nate’s velvety lips glided across the side of my neck and down my chest as Rex’s tongue demanded possession of my willing mouth.
“Bedroom,” Rex barked, pulling at Nate’s arm, “we need space to spread out.” Nate walked to the center of the spacious bedroom, larger than most of the regular hotel rooms at The Penelope. Rex followed, stopping in front of Nate as I closed the door behind us. I didn’t want to be disturbed by the pesky butler that patrolled the premium suites. I paused, leaning against the doorframe to take in the sight of two beautiful men in love with each other. Nate was slowly unbuttoning Rex’s shirt, each loosened button revealing a patch of Rex’s marvelous golden skin. When Nate’s fingers reached the fifth button down, he leaned in to kiss Rex’s chest, Nate’s lips skating over the black cross tattoo in the very center. Rex took a deep breath, his midnight blue eyes searching across the room to where I stood. Our eyes locked as the man we both loved continued the reverent process of undressing Rex.
Rex reached for me, and I nodded, but didn’t move. He understood that I wanted to watch a little longer and reached for Nate, pulling him closer, his arms wrapping around Nate’s waist. After Nate freed Rex’s powerful torso of the shirt, he slid his hands up and across Rex’s chest, pushing it off his shoulders and letting it fall to the floor. Nate’s tongue flickered across Rex’s right nipple, toying with the titanium barbell piercing running through it. Rex let out a sensual grunt, and my feet advanced a few steps toward them. As arousing as it was to be a bystander, my clit was throbbing, my panties soaking.
Nate continued his tongue worship of Rex’s muscled chest, kissing, licking, and nibbling from inked shoulder to inked shoulder, down the faint line of glimmering blonde hair snaking from his mid-section to below his waist, over each tattooed arm, ending with a kiss on each of Rex’s palms. Nate reached for Rex’s wide leather belt, pulling it free while yanking at the button fly of his worn jeans. Nate dropped to his knees in front of Rex, languidly tugging at Rex’s fly. “Nate, Nate, Nate,” Rex chanted like a prayer, his eyes pointed to the ceiling above as his thick cock was released from the confines of the jeans. I took a few more steps toward them, rapt in the sensuality of Nate’s tongue toying with the metal piercings running along Rex’s hardening cock. “Penny, please,” Rex groaned, his eyes finding mine again, his hand reaching to beckon me to them. I moved forward—my desire to watch losing out to my own arousal.
“Yes, King Rex?” I flirted. “What do you want me to do?” Nate’s tongue was bathing Rex’s now fully erect cock from side to side, top to bottom, avoiding the sensitive barbell-pierced frenulum on purpose to tease Rex. We both loved to tease Rex to the point of him exploding with need, but we usually let Rex lead. It was part of our special dynamic—and Rex craved control like a drug. “Quit teasing me, Nathaniel. I’m two seconds away from rolling you over and fucking you like you’ve never been fucked,” Rex snapped. Looking over at me, Rex pointed to Nate and said, “Undress him.”
Nate obediently took Rex’s cock into his mouth, sucking hard, straining to take it all. I knelt behind Nate, my hands reaching under his shirt to stroke his skin, desperate to touch him. I let go of him, long enough to undo the buttons, pulling the shirt off to reveal his lean, toned chest, his defined abs leading to the perfect V that disappeared into his pants. Tugging from behind him, I undid his fly and slid my right hand down, under the soft cotton underwear and across Nate’s straining cock. I caressed him, bringing his erection out from the confines of his clothes, desperate for more of him.
Rex’s large hands were on each side of Nate’s face as Nate sucked—urgent, needy. I moved around Nate, my hands never letting go of his erect cock, leaking at the tip as I stroked it. Snaking in between the two men, my mouth wrapped around Nate’s cock, sucking him as he pleasured Rex. My hips wiggled as I inhaled Nate, lost in his perfection as Rex’s strained legs braced me from behind.
“Stop, both of you,” Rex croaked, pulling his about-to-erupt cock from Nate’s adoring mouth. Nate and I obeyed with a pout, Nate glancing down at his own now-ignored, about-to-burst hardness. Rex kicked off his jeans and knelt on the floor beside us. With a palm on Nate’s cheek, he explained, “I want us to leak from her all night long.” Nate grinned a sly, conspiring smile as I shot out a playful protest. “Penny, naked, now,” Rex commanded, his eyes never leaving Nate’s icy blue ones. “I love you,” Nate sighed as Rex leaned in to kiss him. The sight of the two men I loved kissing always thrilled me—it was different from how they kissed me. Even when gentle and romantic, there was rawness about it that lit a fire inside of me. It had taken some time for Rex to come to terms with having an attraction to another man, so to see him so fully comfortable with loving Nate was special to all of us.
By the time I was undressed, so was Nate. Rex consumed us with his eyes, the primal animal urge surging in him as we stood there on display for him. With a wave of his hand, he beckoned us closer. “You two are my life, my everything,” he said reverently as he took my face to his. The three of us locked in an embrace as Rex kissed me. He was soft and loving at first, then raw and needy as his lips ground into mine, his tongue possessing my mouth.
Nate pressed against me from behind, his hot breath on the back of my neck as his iron cock ground against my bare skin. The sharpness of Nate’s teeth sank into the delicate skin of my neck, a loud moan escaping my lips, still sealed to Rex’s brutal kiss. I was inching toward orgasm, desperate to be filled by them as they toyed with me. “What do you want, Princess?” Rex growled, his lips leaving mine, his fingers dipping into my wet pussy.
“I want you both to fuck me, I need you together.”
Rex’s fingers slid from me, spreading my essence further back, his index finger moving into the at-first unyielding tightness of my ass, patiently waiting until I relaxed, allowing his skilled touch to easily fill me. “Ah,” I moaned, my legs shaking as I struggled to stay standing. Nate’s arms wrapped around my waist, supporting me as Rex’s hands brought me to climax.
Rex’s fingers left me, the sudden emptiness causing me to crave more. We fell to the floor, a tangle of bodies until they easily positioned me in between them—the awkwardness of three-person sex long behind us. Now, we had it down to an art, our bodies moving together like a ballet. Rex was on his back, my knees struggling to straddle his wide, powerful hips as his thick cock entered me so fast I screamed. I could hear the click of the bottle of lubricant from Nate behind me as Rex wrapped my hair into his fist, pulling just hard enough to control me. “Too rough? You’re howling like a cat in heat,” Rex asked, pulling a little harder on my mane of flowing blonde hair. “More,” I grunted, unable to form words. “Harder?” he asked, the impossible thickness of his cock stretching me mercilessly as he thrust into me again.
“Yes, please, more,” I managed to stutter as I clenched around him.
His fist slid from my hair, both large palms reached up to embrace my face, pulling me toward his lips. “Are you ready for Nate, baby girl?” Rex held my face, not letting my lips fall to his until I answered. “Yes,” I hissed as I felt the head of Nate’s cock slipping into the tight ring of my ass. I screamed again from the intensity of being filled by both of them until Rex’s probing tongue at my lips silenced me. Being joined with them both at once was perfection, and as Nate’s kisses ran down my spine, I came again—Rex’s mouth muffling my howls. The eruption from me, the powerful clenches of my orgasm, set them both off. I fought to hold onto both of them as they came, exploding into me together.
Exhausted, I lay on the floor cradled between them. Rex had dozed off—he loved to sleep, a frequent source of our teasing. I moved over to nuzzle into Nate’s neck, his long arms wrapping around my back.
“I love you so much, Penny, I want you to have everything you dream of. All of it—if you ever feel like it would be better with just the two of you, I’ll…” He gulped hard, unable to finish.
“You two, Rex and you, are everything I dream of. I love you more than anything, I couldn’t go on without—”
Rex interrupted us, spitting out, “Holy shit, my mouth is on this nasty floor!”
“Huh? Nasty?” I was offended, arguing, “This is the best hotel in Las Vegas, the best in—”
“I don’t care if it’s the fucking Ritz, baby, have you not seen those Dateline things where they test hotel rooms for all sorts of bacteria and shit? Oh my fuck I need my Listerine!” Rex was inexplicably addicted to Listerine; he believed it to cure all manner of mayhem.
“Uh, whatever.”
Nate butted in, “You stick your tongue in all sorts of unholy places, and you’re that worried about a four-star hotel’s carpeting?”
Rex shot him an annoyed look as he stood up and headed toward the master bathroom. “I stick my tongue in you, and in her, if that’s what you meant pretty boy, and I damn well better know where you’ve both been.” Nate shot me a wink as we listened to Rex’s annoying gargle and spit. From the bathroom, Rex howled, “Get in the shower—it’s big enough for all of us. We’re going to be late for this shin-dig and I don’t fucking do late!”
Chapter Two
Eyeliner—I was as addicted to it as Rex was to Listerine. Nate, well, he didn’t have any addictions, not since getting over the big one—cocaine. He drank a little, but alcohol wasn’t a draw for him. He enjoyed mixed-martial arts type fighting, which had gotten him into trouble a few times, but other than that, he was fairly even keel. But eyeliner…I lived for the stuff, despite Rex always pushing me to keep my face pure and natural. Early that evening in the master bathroom of our hotel suite, I swiped on a brand new cobalt blue liner. But, even a new designer eyeliner pencil didn’t make me smile. I was nervous. In less than an hour, I was showing up at pre-wedding dinner for my closest cousin, where much of my extended family and many of my friends would attend, with my two boyfriends. I had no idea what I planned to do.
Rex rounded the corner, asking something about cufflinks, but I jumped, smearing my eyeliner across my face. “Shit!” I screamed, not caring that Rex hated it when I swore. “Okay, Penny, what’s wrong? You’ve been as nervous as a cat all day,” he said, leaning against the marble sink as I wiped away the errant cobalt blue line from my skin.
“I guess I’m just…I’m not sure how to tell them that I’m with both of you.”
“Ah,” he answered, his face relaxing. “Well, listen, you don’t have to. Just take Nate as your date—they already know you’re with him. I’ll stay here—I’ve been dying to read that new book about—”
I shook my head and interrupted, “No, I want you there. I told Madison I was bringing both of you and that I’d explain, and I will. You’re not getting out of wearing a tie that easily.”
He took me into his arms and held me tight. “Well, listen, I’ll let you lead. If you want to just say I’m a friend of Nate’s or whatever, it’s fine.”
“It’s not fine.” Nate was at the door, his hands on his hips, staring daggers at us. He looked like perfection, as always. No one wore a suit like the billionaire Nathaniel Slater. But, he was clearly pissed off.
“I just meant she doesn’t need to ruin this occasion with that, there’s time later to…” Rex tried to explain.
Nate shook his head, walking over to straighten Rex’s tie. “So,” he said coldly, his deft fingers styling Rex, “we’re all three, we don’t care what others think, it’s right for us—all that is just talk then? Lip service? Empty? Clearly it’s stuff we say only when others who might not approve aren’t around. I call bullshit to that, my lovers. It wasn’t easy for me to tell my father and my sister about us, but I did. Why should we hide?” Nate shrugged his shoulders and stepped back. He was right, and I knew we’d hurt him.
“Come on man, you’re being melodramatic,” Rex said with a wave of his hand, “I’m not saying she shouldn’t tell them, just maybe not tonight. This event isn’t about us, it’s about the bride and groom.”
Nate nodded, unconvinced, “Uh huh, so that’s the real reason, Rex?” His question hung in the air as I finished getting ready, still unsure what I planned to do.
I slithered into a snug red dress, holding my breath as Nate zipped me up. He held my hand as I stepped into my new sky-high stilettos, and with no regard for his own expensive suit, he knelt down on the floor to strap them around my ankles.
With a quick kiss to the top of my foot he said, “Penelope, my love, you are a perfect vision tonight.” I smiled—Nate was always my handsome Prince, my knight in shining armor. He was caring, intuitive, and knew the perfect thing to say to light me from within. I never felt more beautiful than when I saw myself in Nate’s eyes. He stood up in front of me and took my hands in his, leading me out to the living room where Rex was finishing his bourbon, staring at the beat-up Omega watch he always wore.
“We’re running five minutes behind, what the hell took so…” He stopped mid-sentence when he looked up from his drink and saw us, arm in arm, in front of him. Rex’s scowl softened into a warm glow as he set the crystal tumbler down. “You two, wow, you are both stunning. I have no idea what you see in an old rough-around-the-edges asshole like me,” Rex said, walking toward us.
“We love you, old man,” I teased, falling to his side. “I love it when you dress up.”
Rex glanced down at his dark suit, “Whatever, baby. I want out of these clothes, and I want you both out of yours. I’m ready for round two.” He pulled Nate to his other side, wrapping us in his comforting, protective embrace. “I love you both. Let’s get this thing over with and get naked,” he growled, walking our party of three toward the door.
Downstairs, Madison was glowing as we made our way through the throng of friends and family to say our congratulations. Her fiery-orange hair was gleaming under the florescent lights of The Penelope’s Ballroom #2 as we approached her. I’d always had long, straight blonde hair, so the contrast of Maddie’s carrot-orange wild mane of chin length waves always fascinated me. We were first cousins, united by being the only children of my father and her mother, but we could not look more different. Her hazel eyes found mine—she was a super nova of joy that summer evening in my father’s casino. She grabbed me and we spun around like first graders, high on the euphoria of seeing each other in person after over a year apart and countless hours on the phone plotting and planning for this very moment.
“Shut the front door, Penny, you look so grown up!” Madison had always been child-like, innocent. Her parents sheltered their only child; they wrapped her in a protective, loving bubble, unlike my own dysfunctional parents who had the “throw her into the wild” approach to child rearing. Her fiancé, Chad, was her first and only lover, I’d found out over the phone last month. They hadn’t waited for their wedding night, but Maddie was innocent to the extreme. I squeezed her tight as her eyes drifted to the two men I’d arrived with.
“Oh, this is…” she paused, glancing to Rex, then back to Nate.
“Madison Bauer, this is Nathaniel Slater, my b—”
“Boyfriend!” she squealed. “I know! We’ve met, Mr. Slater, do you remember? Back on that cross-Atlantic cruise with all the lacrosse players from Duke? I was going with Lance Dutton, and your sister was on it, oh it’s been forever! But I’m so happy you’ve found my Penny!”
She smiled from ear to ear as she hugged Nate as if they were old friends. The elegant Nate hugged the gushing Madison as her fiancé, only slightly less shiny than Nate, approached. “Oh, and who is this solid mass of a man?” she asked as Chad touched her elbow.
“Maddie, Doctor Rex Renton,” I stuttered out as Rex reached to shake her hand.
She ignored his outstretched hand and wrapped her perky-self around him, glancing at me, “Doctor? You’re not sick?” She blanched, memories of my dying mother haunting her happy moment.
“No, no, Maddie. Rex is my…” I stopped there, unsure how to finish as they all waited patiently for me to explain.
Chad came to my rescue, pulling at Maddie. “Darling, we need get started. Mother has a video presentation she would like to begin. I do apologize,” he said, nodding his head.
“Of course, we’ll chat later,” Rex said, leading us away from the happy couple and toward our place cards in the crowded ballroom.
We found our seats, my men on each side of me, as a video began to play. I scanned the dark room for my father, but didn’t see either him or my stepmother. Madison was at the head table, next to her fiancé, their parents flanking them. She was beaming as Chad took her hand, nodding toward a bald baby picture of Maddie. Their love radiated from them; it was unmistakable.
My left hand was wrapped in Nate’s, our fingers intertwined as the video droned on. A waiter passed with Champagne flutes on a gleaming silver tray—we each took one. Still nervously awaiting my father, I drained mine, not waiting for the toast we were supposed to be reserving them for. My foot twirled, my leg shook as there was still no sign of dad. I looked at my phone, our tablemates glaring at the sudden burst of light from my screen. I drained Nate’s bubbly, then started in on Rex’s—his eyes were on the video and he didn’t notice. I crossed my legs, letting my foot shift from side to side as I scanned the entrance. A large hand slid along my bare right thigh, holding my leg still. I took a deep breath and relaxed a little—Rex’s touch always calmed me. I glanced to the table behind us—a petite woman with a severe pixie haircut was staring at me, her nose crinkled up, a sneer on her lips. She looked familiar, but her disapproval was pointed at Rex’s hand on my leg. I was holding Nate’s hand above the table, and underneath, Rex was caressing my leg. Even with three glasses of Champagne in less than seven minutes, I realized how that looked to Miss Judgy Judgy. I shot her a sneer and scanned the room again.
The endless video continued, moving on to Chad’s charmed and perfect life. I signaled the waiter, and with three fingers told him we needed more drinks. Nate slid him a tip before turning to me, already halfway through my fourth glass. “Go easy, babe,” he said with a squeeze of my left hand. Go easy? I rolled my eyes at Nate, thankful Rex didn’t notice. I drained the flute and switched it with the one in front of Rex, ignoring Nate’s annoyed sigh.
At the bottom of that glass, the bubbly hit me. We hadn’t been served dinner yet, and the room spun a little as the eternal video finally came to an end. Nate released my hand to applaud with the rest of the room. There was still no sign of dear ol’ daddy, and I suspected he’d decided not to come. He probably wouldn’t have the balls to miss his niece’s wedding, taking place at his hotel, but I’m sure there were emergencies large enough to warrant skipping out on the pre-wedding dinner.
“Doesn’t anyone rehearse anymore? What happened to a rehearsal and a rehearsal dinner?” I asked too loudly in Rex’s ear. He shrugged, and gave me a warm smile, pulling me into him. “What’s wrong with you? Why aren’t you acting like Colonel Rex?” I hissed, Miss Judgy Judgy sneering at us again.
He kissed me on the cheek, and whispered, “I know this is hard for you, baby.”
Where is bossy Rex, King of the Jungle? I need someone to whip my childish ass into shape, not coddle me!
The lights came on in the ballroom as some overly-fancy appetizer was served, scallops something. I looked over to Maddie and Chad again—they were glowing, the public expression of their love filling the velvet-swaddled room. I looked to Nate, in his shiny silver Hugo Boss suit, his silver tie the color of his light eyes. I loved him fully, entirely. Rex’s leg leaned against mine under the crisp white tablecloth as I turned to watch him shovel the scallops indiscriminately into his mouth. I smiled—I knew exactly what he thought about the first course. My Rex would be thinking, “Fancy shit, but fuck it, it’s protein and better than the stuff I catch with a safety pin in the Amazon.” I loved him too, fully, with all of me. Neither of these men had half of my heart—they, together, combined with their love for one another, possessed all of me. And yet, here we sat, being glared at for touching, guarding our every move, ashamed to be three people in love—hiding our affection under a tablecloth. I sipped at the Champagne, trying to avoid the disapproval of my men.
Wine was served with the rest of the meal, and although Nate and Rex were content, chatting away with each other and our tablemates about Colombia, the stock market, politics, and other current events, I sipped more wine than I should have. A storm was brewing inside me, a defiant, rebellious tempest was stirring, and deep inside me it burned hotter than an ulcer. It all started to scream—why does Maddie get to show her love freely? Why does she get this big family wedding that I’ll be denied? Who said you could only love one man, that only one could love you, that three people couldn’t have the same form of happily ever after that “straight” people did? By the dessert course, the questions were howling, distracting me from the benign small-talk going on around me.
Nate spoke to me as the waiter cleared our dessert plates. His words were mumbled as if I were underwater. “What?” I said too loudly, even surrounding tables turning to look at me.
Rex caressed my bare knee under the safety of the tablecloth, and said into my ear, “Lovely Nathaniel asked if you’d like some coffee, baby, are you okay? We can go. I’ll tell them you aren’t feeling well.”
Coffee? Leave? Rex’s hand felt good on my skin… Nate’s hand took mine again. This was heaven. I needed more wine. All I could manage was to shake my head and say, “No, I’m good.”
Rex and Nate sipped their coffee and continued to socialize as if everything were normal as I looked around the room again. Still no dad, and everything was not normal. Maddie smiled at me and waved from her throne in front of her adoring room. The din of the room, of the polite conversations kept at the surface, swelled around me as I snuck more wine, switching Nate’s full glass for my half empty one as he got animated in a discussion about virtual offices. My legs felt like rubber as I decided it was time to go; I’d over done it. I leaned to Rex and whispered, “I think I need to go.” He nodded and pushed his chair back, but froze, his head whipping to me in alarm. Someone was speaking on the microphone at the front of the room. It was Maddie’s mother, my aunt Sophie. She was saying my name, and the throng of friends and family were clapping. Rex looked to Nate and shook his head—but they were all looking at me. Aunt Sophie spoke again as Maddie gestured for me to walk to the front of the room.
“Come on, honey, don’t be shy—first we’ll have the maid of honor, Madison’s cousin Penelope. Say a few words, dear,” Aunt Sophie said, walking toward me with the wireless mic. Nate looked at me with alarm as I stood, stumbling toward Aunt Sophie. There was a snicker from my left as I took the microphone—it was Miss Judgy Judgy, laughing at me. Well, fuck her, I thought as I began to speak. Words came from my sloshy mouth—normal words, touching words about the friendship I had for my dear cousin. The crowd clapped, nodded, and looked to the happy couple in adoration as I spoke. Until, I looked over at Nate. He nodded at me, relieved that I was able to pull it together. He mouthed the words, “I love you.” I looked to Rex, and saw his reverent eyes go from me to Nate and back again—he loved us both with a love that few twosomes could match. The dam inside me burst, and I said into the echoing microphone, “Love is patient, love is kind…” Aunt Sophie rose to relieve me of the mic as I walked nearer to my men to escape her.
I continued, “I love these two men, they are my life. I know that society may never accept it, but I don’t care. They love me, Maddie,” I said, looking to my cousin for support, but she was horrified—the sheer shock of an awkward moment washing over her, ruining her perfect evening, the start of her perfect wedding, the eve of her perfect life. Her cheeks glowed as red as her hair as she gestured for someone, anyone, to relieve me of the floor. But, I continued, the oppression of hiding rolling off of me, I was free as I told the room that, “Not only do I love both of these men, and they me, but they…” Rex stood and gave me the iconic hand-across-the-throat knock it off gesture, his dark suited, hulking presence walking toward me amidst the stares of the room. But it was too late. “…they love each other too! They are in love, and with me, and we three—I mean we share a bed and we are all three…” I paused then—my rambling, drunken, highly inappropriate speech wasn’t halted by Maddie, or her mother, or even by Rex—it was mercifully cut short by a loud clap from the side of the cavernous ballroom. We all looked to the door to see my father standing there.
He continued his applause, even as his young wife blanched and attempted to lure him to their table. Brushing her aside, he walked toward me, seizing the mic and wrapping his arms around me. Rex paused, frozen, as my father spoke into the microphone. “Ah, that’s my Penny! A true Vegas girl, why have one man when you can have two! Have it all, I always say! I’m happy to host this event, and all of this weekend’s wedding festivities and accommodations have gladly been provided on the house by The Penelope. I’m happy to do it for my dear sister.” He glanced to my sulking Aunt Sophie in warning, reminding her that this was his house and despite our differences, I was his daughter. She sat down next to Maddie, who had collapsed into Chad. “Start the music! Let’s dance!” my father roared like an emcee before walking me toward the door.
I leaned into him, my tipsy body teetering on my stilettos. Within seconds, strong arms were lifting me from my father—it was the spicy scent of Nate.
“Mr. Slater, we’ll chat tomorrow,” I heard my father say as another set of strong arms wrapped around the other side of me.
“We’ve got you, baby,” the deep baritone of Rex boomed into my ear as they walked me out of the ballroom and into the blaring lights of the hallway.
Chapter Three
“What did I say in there?” I asked as my men led me through the convention area, the snaking trails of the casino, and to the exclusive guarded elevator that would lead us up to our suite, high above Las Vegas.
“Well, Penny, the cat is pretty much out of the bag now,” Nate answered proudly. “Do you feel free?”
I looked into his entrancing eyes and saw how badly he wanted me to feel the freedom of some sort of “coming out” that he felt, but I didn’t. “I-I mostly just feel like, ‘Holy crap, why did I say that during a maid of honor speech?’
He nodded, sliding his key card into the elevator panel to allow us access to the penthouse floor. “Yeah, I guess I didn’t exactly expect you to tell them like that, I mean with a microphone,” Nate said. I leaned against the wall as we ascended, feeling queasy and guilty for my behavior. Maddie had to be furious.
Tears sprang to my eyes, but then, as the elevator came to a stop at the top, Rex began to laugh. Not a chuckle, but a hard, debilitating belly laugh. “That was classic—did you see the reaction from the prude sitting behind us? She was about to burn Penny at the stake until she heard the part about two men together. I think she was so wet at the idea she almost slid out of her chair,” he choked out through his laughter. It was contagious, and Nate started laughing, wiping his eyes as we walked into the suite. I could see the humor, but at the moment, I wasn’t in a place to laugh, but I was glad they weren’t furious with me.
I collapsed onto the sofa as their laughter eventually faded away. “We’ll have to flirt with Miss Pixie-Haired Prude tomorrow at the wedding,” Nate teased, kneeling down to take the straps off from around my ankles, freeing my sore feet of the designer stilettos. I fought to keep my eyes opened as Nate massaged my feet—my knight in shining armor also gave the very best foot rubs. “Are my giant feet next?” Rex flirted as he pulled loose the oppressive tie and unbuttoned his shirt. Nate’s glorious touch moved to my other foot as I fought the urge to find my phone and call Maddie. I began to nod off as Nate answered, “Let me finish the pampered Princess here and I’ll give your big guys some love.” I could hear the ice clink into Rex’s tumbler as he said, “I hope we’re talking about more than my feet.” One last impulse to call my cousin floated by my pickled brain before I gave up and fell into a hard sleep.
*****
“Shh, don’t wake her up, she needs to sleep it off.” It was Rex’s attempt at a whisper—his voice was so deep his whispering never made it to the quiet level.
“Do you think she’ll be sick? I don’t want to wake up covered in hurl,” Nate whispered back.
“I think she’ll be okay; she’s been asleep for an hour now, it’s been two hours since she’s had anything to drink.”
I didn’t open my eyes, my head hurt and I didn’t want to move. I was in bed next to them, on the left as usual, naked beneath the heavenly sheets. Rex usually slept in the middle, our bodies stubbornly draped around him like moss clinging to a tree.
I could feel them shift, the body that was touching me a second ago had turned to his side—most likely Rex.
“Come closer—I need you,” the deep baritone of Rex boomed, words so sensual, so erotic, I toyed with the idea of waking up to join them—but the jackhammer beating a tune in my temples didn’t cooperate.
“Without her?” Nate asked, the excitement in his voice causing it to rise. There was movement again as their bodies rolled together, the crisp crackle of the covers was followed by the raspy sound of skin on skin—one hand gliding across the stubbly face of the other, I suspected.
“Is that okay?” Rex asked, his voice husky, aroused.
Over the past year, Rex had let go of his inhibitions with Nate while the three of us made love. But, up until that night, I had always been involved in some way while they were physical. One time the month prior I had asked if I could just watch—Rex struggled with it at first, but agreed. Watching them from a chair at the side of the room was so erotic that I begged them to let me join in at the end. This time, however, I’d try to stay in my alcohol stupor and let them play. Nate was often insecure about his relationship with Rex, and more than once had worried he was the third wheel. Rex initiating sex with just the two of them would hopefully reassure Nate.
“I love you, and I love her, but I don’t have to have her here to be with you, I’m past that,” Rex said, his voice muffled—I suspected he was nuzzled into Nate’s neck.
“Let’s move to the floor.”
“What about germs?” Nate teased, his voice still in a whisper.
“You’ll just have to clean me off after.”
The bed moved as they got up, my head spinning for a second from the motion. I could hear them kissing, hard and urgent, wet and eager. Once again, I toyed with the idea of joining in, but my body wasn’t cooperating. I did manage to pry my eyes open and quietly roll over far enough to be able to sneak a glance at them, ready to feign sleep if they noticed me.
Their naked bodies were bathed in the ethereal blue glow of the television. Rex was on top, their faces immersed in a violent kiss before he pulled away and slid down Nate’s ivory torso to wrap his hand around Nate’s swollen cock, pulling hard as Nate’s head flailed from side to side. He’d been stroked by Rex before, but never like this that I’d seen. This touch from Rex had meaning—he was sending a clear signal to Nate that Nate was his; that they belonged to each other, even without me.
I didn’t anticipate what happened next, and despite the threat of them catching me watching, my eyes were glued to the wonder of them. Rex wrapped his mouth around Nate’s about-to-explode cock, without hesitation. He wasn’t thinking, he was focused on the selfless act of giving pleasure to someone he loved. Nate’s head snapped to watch—he was as surprised as I was at having Rex’s mouth sucking him. The throb in my head deepened and my stomach lurched as the room spun. No, don’t ruin it by getting sick! my brain screamed—willing my body to obey.
Nate’s fingers snaked through Rex’s hair, a low moan emanating from Nate as he fought to be quiet. “Fuck, I’m gonna come,” he grunted, his whispered words desperate, begging.
Rex didn’t let up, his right hand sliding underneath Nate, opening Nate with his fingers as his mouth possessed the man he loved. My eyes went blurry as I fought exhaustion, but I saw Nate shudder as he spilled his seed into Rex’s mouth. I remember thinking how spiritual that moment must have been for Nate before I faded into darkness, my head nestled into Rex’s pillow, the spicy cologne he’d worn that evening enveloping me.
Copyright 2016 Sam JD Hunt. Edited by Missy Borucki, Kelly Mallett. From the new release Torn from Two, coming August 16th. Special 99 cent preorder: myBook.to/TornfromTwo
